Electrodes for use in lithium-ion batteries are made by bonding an active material to a conductive substrate through the use of a binder. The performance and lifetime of a lithium-ion battery depends, at least in part, on the anti-corrosive properties of the electrode and on adhesive strength between the active material and the conductive substrate. Electrode corrosion may lead to reduced adhesive strength, and reduced adhesive strength can result in electrode corrosion. Thus, optimizing both the anti-corrosive properties of the electrode and the adhesive strength between the active material and the conductive substrate is important.
While increased amounts of binder may increase adhesive strength, high amounts of binder reduce the capacity of the electrode and therefore negatively impacts battery performance. As a result, it would be desirable to provide compositions and methods for treating a conductive substrate to improve adhesive strength of the lithium-containing material to the conductive substrate and/or corrosive properties while not requiring increased amounts of binder material. Moreover, it would be desirable to provide compositions and methods for treating a conductive substrate that, in at least some cases, imparts adhesive strength that are equivalent to, or even superior to, the adhesive properties imparted through the use of increased amounts of binder material. It would also be desirable to provide related treated electrodes.